


The Lion with Raven Wings

by AngelOfAme



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Romance, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, other tag come as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2020-12-21 05:40:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21069785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelOfAme/pseuds/AngelOfAme
Summary: In a world where soulmates recognize each other on their marks, two souls find each other due to a common course.Cullen joined the Inquisition because he wanted to help, to redeem himself. Not in his wildest dreams, he would have ever imagined he would meet his soulmate.Raven just wanted to prevent further bloodshed, not be the Herald of Andraste nor meet her soulmate in the middle of a war.Can they help become each other the best version of themselves and prevail together or will they both shatter at their own insecurities?A Soulmate AU





	1. Prolog

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first DAI fanfic.  
My first language is german, so bear with me.  
So if you want to help me out, proofreading you can send me a message [here](https://angelofame.tumblr.com/)

The legend says that a princess fell deeply in love with a commoner. The king was strictly against this union, so he imprisoned the commoner and sentenced him to death. She cried, pleaded, and begged that he should spare her love.

Unknown to them was that her lover was a mage. One night when she finally could sneak to the dungeon to see him. He performed a ritual that bound them together forever. He vanished the next day, but with the promise that she would find him again and recognize him on the mark, he would bear, which would be identical to hers.

They were said to be the first soulmates.

* * *

Little Cullen was envious of his little brother, because he got his soulmate mark at the tender age of three years old, while Cullen, who was five at that time, still hadn't his mark. He congratulated Branson, but he asked himself if something was wrong with him. Rosalie was born with a soulmate mark, and Mia had hers as long as he could remember.

He felt like a failure. He started to distance himself from his siblings, but Mia had none of it. She started pestering him what was wrong until he confessed his thoughts. His sister was furious with him that he could think something like that about himself. She dragged him to their mother and demanded that she explained to him that he was not unloveable, mark, or not. His mother then sat him down and explained to him that it was normal that his mark hadn´t appeared yet. It just meant that his soulmate was born yet.

She ended up being right. A year later, his own mark appeared on his right hip. A proud sitting Lion with feathery wings. It happened while he was outside playing with his siblings. A short sharp pain on his hip, gone as fast as it had come, was the only sign that something had happened. Nothing could dull his joy over his new mark, not even the pain of his twisted ankle.

In the following years, Cullen formed the habit of tracing his mark. He did it in times of stress as well as when he was content. He couldn't wait to find his happiness as his parents had found it in each other.

When he first met Lady Surana, he thought she could be the one, his soulmate. However, before he mustered up the courage to ask her about her mark or simply show her his, she became a warden and left the circle of Ferelden.

She later returned with her soulmate, another warden. He was sad about this discovery and simultaneously glad because he felt guilty for the words he said to her when she freed him from the magic prison. This was the second time he felt unlovable, not because Neria wasn't his soulmate. It was more because he felt unworthy of the love of a soulmate, because of his words. It instilled in him an uncertainty.

This uncertainty was reinforced after the battle in Kirkwall. This time his actions were the crucial factor. His blindness to recognize Meredith madness, let him doubt himself that he could care for his soulmate as she deserved.

Then one night, as his withdrawal symptoms were the worst they have ever been since he joined seeker Cassandra, He made the decision. Should he ever meet his soulmate, he wouldn't pursue her. He wouldn't tell her of their connection, because he felt too broken as a man, as a person. He was unworthy of having a soulmate.

Though he couldn't bring himself to destroy his mark. He couldn't bring himself to scar the place where it sat or get a tattoo on that place. Instead, he hid it under bandages. So no one would know. No one would see.

For Raven, soulmates meant heartbreak. Her parents hadn't been soulmates. When she was six years old, her mother abandoned her and her father. She later found out that her mother had run away with her soulmate. Her father couldn't look at her after the disappearance of his wife. He still took care of her, but it felt like he didn't love her anymore. So she lost with a single action, not just one parent, she lost both.

She resented her mother and vowed to never make the same mistake as she did: To never fall in love and destroy a family.

As she got older, she earned herself the reputation of a mischief-maker, a good for nothing. It was better than the alternative of the pitying looks because her father lost himself in ale and other substances.

When representatives of a neighboring clan came to visit, she put Halla dung in their sleeping bags. Everybody was furious at her. Except one.

The keeper of the neighboring clan saw what her actions really meant: a way to be noticed. She realized that Raven was simply acting out because she had no one who was there for her, who cared for her, who loved and respected her.

So she spoke to her and offered the twelve-year-old girl a job, as her apprentice. Raven laughed in her face that she wouldn't really want her as an apprentice, but the keeper was not dissuaded. At the end of the week, she left with the girl.

That was the best thing that could have happened to Raven. After a year she calmed down, she began to open up. The keeper became family to her. She became her role model. Raven wanted to be better, to thank her mentor for taking a chance on her. She studied hard, practiced her magic, prepared potions, and salves for the sick. She became a better version of herself, a version she could be proud of. And that all thanks to a woman who gave her a home to be herself.

She changed her vow to never break a family apart and provide a family to those who need one. With that vow in mind, she later sat out to the conclave to help solve the conflict without further bloodshed. However, fate had a whole different plan.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclave explodes also know as start of the inquisition

A loud explosion roused Cullen from his sleep. In under five minutes, he was strapped in full armor and raced with sword and shield in hand out of his tent. The second he left his tent, he was confronted with a glowing green hole in the sky. At first, it didn't register that the temple of sacred ashes wasn't part of the landscape anymore. 

He sprang into action. He barked at the nearest scout: "Find Seeker Penrhagast!" The scout nodded and raced to fulfill his task. Meanwhile, the soldiers gathered around Cullen. He opened his mouth to speak as another scout approached him and his men, he met him a few meters apart from his men. 

"Commander, scouts have reported the epicenter of the explosion to be the temple of sacred ashes. We haven't found any survivors from the conclave yet, but demons are hindering our search. Seeker Penthagast will meet you at the temple." Cullen nodded in acknowledgment. He went back to his soldiers.

"Soldiers...There was an attack on the temple. The divine and the rest of the conclave are presumed dead. Although to be able to search the rubble for any survivors, we have to rid it of the demons first. To conclude, this is our task. So arm yourself and be ready to march in ten. And remember to have each other's back."

He was full of adrenaline right now and totally focused on the battle ahead. There was no thought of the circle of Ferelden in his head. That would come later when everything had calmed down.

He went back to his tent and began to pack a bag with healing potions and antidotes. He would leave that bag with one of the scouts. Then he made sure to check his pouch if everything he needed for the battlefield. There were also healing potions and antidotes inside as well as a few bandages.

Satisfied with his equipment Cullen went to leave the tent to meet his men. But his eyes zeroed in on his lyrium kit. He was tempted to take it.  
He didn't really know what lay ahead of him. He would be wise to take it. He reached for the box. In the last second, before his hand touched the container, which held his lyrium supply. He shook himself out of the stupor and left the tent. It was time to join his soldiers. They went to join the fight, but they just could get near the temple of sacred ashes.

He established a rotation on the battlefield when he saw what they had to deal with. Therefore he sorted his soldiers into three groups. One group was on the frontline. The second was a bit further back and took care of the demons, who broke through the frontline. The third group was resting and would take the place of the first group, while the first group would replace the second, and the second group was then allowed to rest.

His soldiers hold their ground pretty good for that some of them hadn't been trained very long. He was especially glad for Rylen and his men.  
It was nearing dawn, Cullen was just taking his break from the fighting. When a scout ran towards him.

"Commander," he called, "something is happening in the temple." The scout didn't need to say more. Cullen was already grabbing his sword and shield. He called out to Rylen that he was in charge while Cullen was gone as he was already racing towards the temple.

Cassandra met him in front of the temple. "What is happening?" he asked her as soon as she was within earshot. "We don't know. A few minutes ago, a rift appeared in the main hall or was is left of it." "A rift?" "A smaller version of the hole in the sky. An apostate called it that. Leliana is interrogating him as we speak. He says he wants to help."

"An apostate?" "Yes, he came into the camp an hour ago, surrender his staff, and offered his assistance." Cullen seemed to look skeptical because Cassandra added: "If someone finds out if he has an ulterior motive, it's Leliana." 

Cullen followed Cassandra into the temple. As Cassandra had said, there was a green rift in the middle of the main hall. Scouts surrounded it, ready to strike if it was required, as were the archers posted on the gallery.

Leliana popped up beside him, behind her was an elven man. "Good, you are both here," she said. "Solas, here, is an expert on matters of the Fade. He says these rifts are small tears in the Veil." Cullen and Cassandra exchanged baffled glances. 

However, before they could ask questions, the rift began to pulse. Everyone was on high alert. Everybody was tense and waited for something to happen. Solas, accompanied by Leliana, Cullen, and Cassandra, approached the rift. Suddenly the rift opened, and someone fell out of it.

Cullen indicated to the others to stand back. While he slowly advanced to the someone, this something, who was lying very still on the ground. He wasn't sure what it was.

As he drew closer, he could make out long dark hair. He carefully kneeled down beside the figure and rolled her over. The woman lying before him was unconscious. His eyes checked her over for apparent injuries. Nevertheless, besides noticeable scrapes and bruises, he could find none which required immediate medical attention.

He slipped his arms carefully under her neck and knees and picked her up. As she was secured in his arms, he began the climb towards the exit of the temple. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Solas picking up her staff. 

Cassandra stopped him halfway up. "What are you doing, Cullen?" "Taking her to safety!" "Why? She could be dangerous! She could be responsible for the explosion!" "Right now, she is unconscious, and the demons are the greater threat than a passed out mage."

As he walked toward the cart, that would carry her to Haven. He idly thought that even a year ago, he would have delegated the injured mage to someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am enjoying hearing from you


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally meet Raven and Cullen meets her the first time conscious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So new chapter is here . Let me know what you think

Raven had been in lots of strange situations. But waking up in chains and with a pounding head was a new one even for her. The first she did, she turned her focus inwards to check herself for injuries. When she was satisfied that nothing was wrong besides the headache, she slowly sat up. She was not surprised to see that somebody had taken her staff, but she was surprised to see a mark on her left hand, which gave off electric sparks.

"Good, you are awake.", someone said from outside her cell. A woman in a cloak came up to the cell bars. She opened the cell doors and motioned for Raven to stand up. She led her to the adjourning room, where she sat down at a table.

"Please, sit!" She indicated for the seat opposite her. Raven dropped down and faced her opposite expectantly. "My name is Leiana," began the woman, "I am going to ask you some questions."

"You are the left hand of the divine, is that correct?" When Leliana nodded, Raven continued. "So to answer your upcoming questions: My name is Raven Lavellan. I am the first to Keeper Deshanna Istimaethoriel Lavellan. I came to the conclave to help solve the conflict peacefully. I have no recollection of arriving and what happened before I woke up in the cell. The last thing I remember was walking through the forest, a few miles from the Temple. Everything after that is a blur."

She paused to think. "That was all I could think of, you might ask." Leliana just looked at her. Raven shrugged. "Not the first time I was in a similar situation. I was a little bit of troublemaker in my teens. That reminds me you might wanna know how old I am and where I am from. I am 24, and I am from all over, because dalish, obviously. I am also a nervous rambler, which you probably figured out at this point. I will stop talking now, not entirely, though, because you want answers." She took a deep breath. "Please continue with your interrogation."

Leliana chuckled. "I think you've covered everything already." She paused, then she stood up. "Follow me." She unlocked Raven shackles and led her outside.

Cullen followed the heated words of Cassandra to the hut of the prisoner. The Herald of Andraste, as she was now called, lay inside, sleeping. Three days ago, they managed to contain the situation with her help. Three days ago, she closed the first few breaches. Since then, she lay unconscious again. Adan and Solas had checked her over. They said she was okay, just needed to rest.

"How could you do that, Leliana. She killed the divine. She is responsible for thousands of deaths.", screamed Cassandra. "We don't know that, Cassandra." "She was your friend too."

"Enough!" Cullen interjected himself between the two women. "Cassandra, calm down! Leliana had her reasons, and I, for one, am glad that she took a chance on the prisoner." Cassandra tried to interrupt him. "She did more in an hour than we all together in three days." Then he turned towards Leliana. "While all went well, it could have been very different, Leliana. I know you can take care of yourself, but you didn't know what she is capable of, we still don't. What if she is responsible, she could have killed you. And most importantly, you are team, act like one."

Cassandra sighed. "You are right, Cullen. I am just..." "...angry. I understand. But we will accomplish nothing if there is infighting." Before he could say anything else, the door to the hut opened. And the elven girl tasked with watching over the Herald stuck her head outside.

"The herald is awake." Cullen nodded in thanks to the girl. "If she feels up to it, she shall meet us in the chantry." "I let her know, sir." Then he turned around and walked with Leliana and Cassandra to the Chantry.

It didn't take long for the Herald to catch up to them. She slithered five minutes later into the room.

"So now that we all here, we can begin. This is Raven Lavellan, a dalish mage." Leliana began by motioning to the black-haired elf. "You've met Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast." Raven nodded. "And the other two are our Ambassador Josephine Montilyet, my soulmate..."

"You have to be shitting me. Your actual soulmate is a woman. I always wondered what it would be to lay with a woman; actually, I wondered that about a man, too. Would I know what to do, where to touch? I think it would be easier with a woman because I know the body of a woman because I am one. But I am also curious how it would feel to have a man's..."

Cullen coughed before she could finish her sentence. His face was flushed with color. Leliana instead burst in a delighted giggle.

"Can we adopt her, Josie, please?" She begged her partner. "She is so cute. and look, she made Cullen blush. " Cullen hated Leliana at that moment; maybe hate was a too strong word. He immensely disliked her at this exact moment.

"I am not sure if you can adopt me," Raven said deliberating. "I am already adopted. But maybe you can request shared custody with Keeper Deshanna. She is my adopted mother." She paused. "Although I can't imagine why you would want to adopt me. I have a broken brain to mouth filter."

Cassandra cleared her throat. "We are getting off track.", she said. She looked at Cullen. He Coughed slightly.

"Right, I am Commander Cullen Rutherford." He extended his hand towards her. She stared surprised at his outstretched hand before she took it into her own.

"Nice to meet you, Commander," she said and smiled at him. Her eyes sparkled.

Chancellor Roderick chose that moment to barge into the meeting and demanded that Raven was brought to Val Royeaux.

Cullen lay awake the same night, unable to get the rest he needed. He let out a frustrated sigh. Finally, he decided to take a walk. Maybe get some work done if that wouldn't work.

As he was nearing the dock, he saw a figure sitting on the wooden planks next to a small lamp. He considered turning around when a female voice called out, "Couldn't sleep either?"

He walked the rest the way till he stood right next to her. "No, Herald."  
She scoffed. "I am no savior." She looked up at him.

He gasped. "Your face tattoo is gone." He kneeled down next to her and took her head into his hands. He turned her face from side to side. When he didn't find a trace of the vallaslin, he leaned back on his feet with a confused look on his face.

"Because what you saw today was a henna tattoo," she answered him. "It means it's wipeable. My clan wears its vallaslin on the back of our right hand." She showed him her right hand, where a phoenix was depicted. "We worship cuil, the god of life. We wear these henna tattoo when we meet with other dalish elves."

Cullen nodded appeased. "So why decided your clan to do it differently?"

"It is recorded that a long time ago that two brothers were hunting in the forest. It got dark. They sat up their camp when a big beast attacked them. The older brother was killed. The younger brother managed to flee. He waited till dawn before he returned to the campsite. There lay the creature weak and hardly conscious. As the younger drew closer to the beast, he noticed the chains around his legs, which cut into its body.

He took pity on the creature and freed it from its chains. When the last chain fell, a bright light radiated from the creature, and before he knew it, a woman stood before him. She introduced herself as Cuil and thanked him for showing mercy. She said to him that he could have anything he ever wanted, power, wisdom, gold. He said the only thing she could do was bring his brother back to life. She answered that she would need a sacrifice for that to be possible. He said to her:'Take me as your sacrifice. My brother is needed more than me.' Stunned, she did as he asked. When his brother awoke and saw his brother dead, she explained to him what had happened.

He begged her to bring his brother back. She thought long and hard about the request and finally said:'I have never seen a bond so deep. I will grant your request. I don't need a sacrifice. If you start praying to me, in a year, you will have your brother back. She kept her word, and since then, Clan Lavellan wears the phoenix on their hand. As a sign of the rebirth."

"But why on the hand?" Cullen asked

"Because their faces wore still the traditional vallaslin. The hand was free, and it was the hand that freed her. So with time, the face vallaslin lost meaning to the clan, and it wasn't done anymore."

She yawned. "You best go back to bed, herald," Cullen said. She nodded and stood up.

"Please call me Raven.", she told him.

"I am afraid it would be inappropriate.", he countered.

She shook her head and walked towards her hut.

"Goodnight, Commander," She called back to him.

"Goodnight, Raven," he whispered into the night.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen makes a new friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to @SolanaS_Vakarian and @AliFenZevSolAlways for the kind words
> 
> Let me know what you think

Cullen was the first to arrive at the war room the next morning. The next ones to appear were Leliana and Josephine. They were quietly whispering to each other. Then Cassandra barged into the room.

The last to arrive was the Herald. Her face was bare again. The others looked at her, stunned, except Leliana, of course. The spymaster knew probably already about the uniqueness of clan Lavelan. While asking, "Do I have something on my face?" Raven ran her hand over her face to check for dirt or food residue. 

"No, Herald, it's just that ... your face...?" Josephine tried to politely ask the question of, "Where is your vallaslin?" Cassandra blurted out. "Oh, that..." And then she told them the same story she had told him the evening before.

After she had enlightened them about the history of her clan, they continued with the meeting. It was decided that Raven would meet mother Giselle in the Hinterlands. Cassandra, Varric, and Solas would accompany her to the Hinterlands. Soon after the meeting had ended, they set off to their destination.

Cullen, hours later, was watching the recruits fight. He walked from one group to another: correcting and criticizing and sometimes demonstrating how to do it better. 

Rylen, his second in command, stood beside him. "The recruits show great promise." "They are not a hopeless case." Cullen agreed. "But most of them have a long way ahead of themselves, till they are ready for a real fight." 

They began to strategize how to train their soldiers best when suddenly a strange weight landed on Cullen's shoulder. He turned his head to the right and looked into the amber-colored eyes of an owl. 

"Maker's breath!" Cullen exclaimed. The tawny owl hooted back as if to greet him. Cullen tried to dislocate the owl through moving his shoulder back and forth. When tath didn't work, He tried shooing it away with his left hand.

But the owl seemed not to care. Instead, it snuggled closer to Cullen's ear. The sound it gave off at the moment reminded Cullen of a purring cat but with owl sounds. 'What a strange owl.', he thought. 

There was one more thing he could try to get the owl of his shoulder. Carefully he placed both his hands on the plumage at its side. When it didn't react negatively, he gently grasped the owl and equally gently lifted it from his shoulder.

The owl hooted protestingly but didn't do more than that. Cullen set it down on a nearby tree branch where he hoped it would stay or fly off to somewhere else. Fly off it did, but not in the intended direction.

It landed on his shoulder, again, this time on his left. Rylen, who had watched the scene with a bright smile on his face, burst out laughing. 

Cullen turned his irritation from the animal, which abused him as a seat to his second in command. Then Cullen took note of the absence of the sound of clashing swords and bashing shields. 

With the promise of punishment in his eyes, he turned towards his soldiers. He seized up every last one of them, daring them to move the corner of their mouths upwards. 

Nobody moved a muscle; nobody wanted to be at the receiving end of the commander's ire. 

"Continue the training!" he finally barked. The owl hooted soothingly at him.

Raven and her companions were pretty busy. They met with Mother Giselle, spoke with Master Dennet, liberated a fort from bandits.

Cullen got the news that they would be arriving back at camp soon a week later. The past week he and the owl had come to an understanding. The owl was allowed to reside on his shoulder during the day. She - Adan had told him that the owl was female - would mostly rest there and was off hunting in the night, when she didn't sit next to him on his cot. If she, in return, delivered messages for him. 

She had gone so far as in bringing him his quill or other little things if he needed them. His soldiers sometimes looked strange at him, but they were mostly used to it by now.

He was walking through the gate when he saw the group with the Herald arrive back at Haven. The owl sat on his shoulder, dozing, having just got a share of his meat.

Raven dismounted a bit apart from the others, patted her halla on the neck before she walked towards him. She was a few feet away from him when her facial expression changed from delighted to sour.

"You traitor," she hissed. "I was worried about you. I thought you were hurt, or I don't know dead. No word, nothing, and here you are. Standing as nothing had happened, not a care in the world." 

That Cullen was confused would be the biggest understatement at the moment. When she called him a little bitch, he had enough.

"Herald, may I ask what I did to upset you?" he asked evenly. 

She looked confused. Then her mouth formed a wordless o as she just realized something before she went beet red.

"My apologies, Cullen, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to her."

She pointed to his right shoulder, the shoulder where an innocent-looking owl was sitting. 

Understanding dawned upon him. "She is yours," he concluded. 

"As far as one can be the owner of this stubborn owl," Raven answered, then she turned back to the owl.

"Snowy, can you please get my satchel. I know you don't want to. You have a gorgeous man who tends to you, but if you do that, we can think about shared custody. Deal?" She appealed to the owl. It seemed to work because Snowy spread her wings and vanished into the forest.

"I am sorry if she was a handful. I try to encourage her to leave you alone.", she apologized. "She wasn't a bother. She was, surprisingly, good company...for an owl." 

Raven gifted him a bright smile at his words, then waved goodbye.

"So, you made a new friend, Curly," Varric said from behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've made a poll, what Raven's nickname should be.  
You can vote here:  
https://linkto.run/p/6M2RZ3VN


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay

The first time he witnessed her dismounting far away from the others, he thought nothing of it. The second time he didn't pay it any attention. The third time he found it odd. The fourth time he believed that it had something to with her companions, especially with the Qunari. This theory proved wrong when he saw the two of them animated talking in the tavern.

After that, he kept wondering what motivated her to mount and dismount away from the others. Then he noticed that she gave the stable a wide berth.

From then on, he kept observing her interactions meticulously, searching for the cause of this strange behavior.

He had the epiphany one day as he was grooming Maximilian, his own horse, outside the stables. He planned to bring him to the fields behind Haven later to let him roam.

He saw Raven out of the corner of his eyes, leaving Harrit's station. She bid the men at the forge farewell. She then turned towards him.

A smile began to form on her face when she saw him. But before it was the smile he was used to from her, it froze. Her face turned white. She took a step backward, fear evident on her face.

This was the exact moment Cullen realized she was afraid of horses. And it probably didn't help that Max was a big black stallion. He took Max reins and led him into the stable. 

Cullen made sure his horse was taken care of as quickly as possible, but since Max didn't like any of the stable boys, Cullen had to do all the work. Usually, he savored to do it, but not today.

Raven was long gone when he left the stables. While he was walking to her cabin, he was formulating a plan on how to help her. So that she at least could be near a horse or at least in the nearer vicinity of one.

He had a solid plan, at least Cullen thought he did when he reached Ravens cabin. He knocked on her door.

He didn't have to wait long till she opened her door. Her face was still pale, and she wouldn't meet his eyes. She seemed as she was ashamed.

"Can I come in?" Cullen asked. She nodded and stepped aside to let him in. 

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, "I am sorry you had to see me like ..." "I am sorry to intrude on you like..." they both started at the same time.

They both fell silent immediately. Cullen cleared his throat. "If it's okay with you, I would like to begin." She nodded, embarrassed.

"First of all, it is okay to be afraid of something. This is nothing to be ashamed of." She opened her mouth, but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

"I am not finished. I got to know you a little bit in the last few weeks, and I've come to the conclusion: You had a bad experience with horses. And I would like to rectify that. I know you love animals, and I think it pains you to be afraid of them. So I want to help you if you want to that is. I am not pressuring you, but I think you would benefit hugely if you could overcome your fear. Be it to ride one or be near one without the need to run immediately." He looked her directly in the eye. "I won't think less of you if this fear proves too great to overcome, but I believe you can. All I ask is you try."

The next day, Raven met Cullen at the gate of Haven, and they went to the fields together. As they drew nearer, she saw horses running around the paddock, grazing. 

She was still some distance from them apart, but her fear seized her. She froze. 

Cullen stopped beside her and pointed at something in the middle of the herd.

"Do you see the foals? Their age ranges from a few weeks old to short of a year." The little ones chased each other, weaving through the adult horses, using them as obstacles.

Two ran at breakneck speed next to each other. Suddenly they bumped into each other so that both went tumbling down to the ground. Raven moved instinctively closer, ready to help if the need arose.

But both sprung up, shook their fur, and continued racing.

Cullen led her to a pasture a little further. A lonely chestnut brown horse was grazing there.

"This is Mara," Cullen explained. Mara padded towards him when she heard his voice. "She knows I always have a carrot for her."

He sat his backpack on the ground. Then he closed the remaining feet to the enclosure and climbed over the fence. Mara greeted him by nosing at him.

"She is a sneaky one." Cullen laughed. "Always hungry." 

He pulled a carrot from his pocket and presented it to Mara on his flat palm. She immediately snitched it up and started munching.

He beckoned Raven to come nearer to the fence.

"She won't hurt you. First of all, there is a fence between you and her. Second, she is very friendly. My sister used her to teach a lot of children how to ride. Third, my sister trained her personally, and my sister is an excellent horse trainer. And last I am here, and I promise if she acts out, I will throw myself between you."

She nodded. Her fear was strong as ever, but Cullen was right: Mara didn't seem to be dangerous. She let Cullen scratch her neck and muzzle. And Cullen was here. And the few weeks she had known him, she learned that he always tried his hardest to keep the promises he gave.

She took a step forward, and when nothing terrible happened, she took another. 

"Can you give me the backpack?" She swallowed hard. Then she took a deep breath. She bent down to pick the bag up. Then she crossed slowly the area which divided her from the fence.

She realized that when she looked directly at Cullen, it was easier to go nearer the horse. Finally, she stood right before the fence.

Mara stretched her neck towards her and regarded her with a curious look. Then she bent her head towards her.

Raven stood stock still when Mara sniffed at her hair. And then she felt soft lips tickling her cheek. This triggered not fear as Raven would have expected. Instead, it caused a delighted giggle from her.

Mara's lips were very ticklish. Raven knew at that moment that maybe she wouldn't be able to trust all horses, but in time this horse could be her friend, and she knew she had Cullen to thank for that.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think


End file.
